Big Band Slam
June 21 @ 1:00 PM
This year's guest artist is Christian Overton, and the participating bands are:
JAZZ.FM91 Youth Big Band, led by Kelsley Grant
York Mills Jazz Band, led by Elena Jubinville
Senator O’Connor Senior Jazz Ensemble, led by Stephen Griffiths
No Reservations
No Cover Charge
Each year, the Big Band Slam brings together high school bands from across the Greater Toronto Area for an afternoon of trumpet blasting, trombone sliding, sax squealing excitement - a chance to showcase some of the outstanding music being made by high school music students across the city. A different special guest is selected to work with the bands each year, attending rehearsals in advance and performing with each band on the day of the Slam.
This year's guest artist is Christian Overton, and the participating bands are:
JAZZ.FM91 Youth Big Band, led by Kelsley Grant
York Mills Jazz Band, led by Elena Jubinville
Senator O’Connor Senior Jazz Ensemble, led by Stephen Griffiths
Originally from Sudbury Ontario, Christian Overton is now one of the most in demand trombonists and composer/arrangers in Toronto. He’s played with a huge range of artists from jazz legends Danilo Perez and John Patitucci to Canadian legends Don Thompson and Guido Basso, to rock bands Sloan, and Glass Tiger, Hip Hop artist Lauryn Hill, the legendary Frankie Valli, as well as classical masters Jens Lindemann and Alain Trudel to children’s entertainer Fred Penner and in pit orchestras like the musical Singin’ In The Rain.
Christian also has his own jazz quintet, leads The Composers Collective Big Band and is the founder of Clovertone Music, a publishing company dedicated to publishing Canadian composers works for the educational market. Christian was a finalist for the Ontario Arts Council Louis Applebaum composers award in 2019 and teaches arranging at the University of Toronto and Humber Polytechnic. His group the Composers Collective Big Band just released their newest record “The Toronto Project” to great acclaim.
2026 Toronto Jazz Festival educational programming presented by Long & McQuade